I've been waiting, all this time for you
by RoseFleur
Summary: Hermione comes to stay at the Potters' having not seen Ron for 8 years.  Just an idea I had...
1. What is time? Is it eternity?

**Author's note: a working progress, let me know your thoughts :) all characters & such belong to JK Rowling, the maker of my childhood.. **

She had not seen Ron Weasley for 8 years. She could not believe it had been so long. And yet, here she was stood outside his front door. Of course, he didn't know she'd be here. She'd specifically told Harry and Ginny not to tell Ron she was coming. She didn't know what she'd say to him.

It had been 8 years since Lord Voldemort had been defeated and Ron had gone to travel the world. Hermione had gone to France to study her final year at Beauxbatons Academy – she could not face going back to her beloved Hogwarts after the wreck it had become in the battle. Instead she had taken her NEWTs at Beauxbatons and stayed in France to work for the Department of International Magical Cooperation overseas.

Ron, on the other hand, had become a roving journalist for 'The Daily Prophet' travelling the world to get his stories. They had at first corresponded by owl, but as time went on, the letters became shorter and the owls fewer, until nothing.

And now, here she was. Stood outside his door, knocking half-heartedly and she sighed.

Harry swung the door open, smiled brightly and said "Bon-jewer" in an embarrassing attempt at a French accent. Hermione simply laughed and slid past him into the house. He grabbed her bags, and after her protests carried it up the stairs. He led her into a quaint little spare room, with cream and rose pink sheets on the bed, and a wooden cream vanity table, with a little vase of roses on there.

"Thanks Harry" Hermione smiled at him.

"Come here you…" He enveloped her in a hug, and the two best friends cuddled until there was a cough in the doorway.

Ginny flashed Hermione a brilliant smile and wrapped her in her arms, saying in a muffled voice "It's so good to see you!" She let Hermione go, and said "Dinner's in an hour, bathroom is straight across." And she left the room with her husband.

Hermione sat on the bed and sighed. She pulled her suitcase over and got her wash bag out. She'd freshen up before dinner, after travelling on the disgusting Knight Bus, which was a poor excuse for valid transport.

She stepped into the shower and let the water drip over her, thinking about Ron. What would she say when she saw him? It had been 8 years for goodness sake, and in her seventeen-year old mind, she'd thought they would be together, get married and live happily ever after. Naivety had taken over, and time had pushed them apart. But here she was, in his house. In his shower… did he use this shower, she wondered? Had he stood, under the powerful tap, feeling the water drizzle down his naked back as she was?

She shook her head and laughed getting out of the shower. She wrapped the towel around herself and wiped the steam off the mirror. She rubbed 'Sleekeazy's Hair Potion' into her thick hair – as someone important in the magical community, she now had to maintain her appearance instead of having that giant bush for hair. Plus, it made her feel good to have people look at her in the street admiring her hair, instead of gawping at its frizz. She pulled on jeans and a thin long sleeved top that clung to her body perfectly and green in colour, it highlighted her eyes.

Hermione made her way downstairs; there was no-one in the kitchen. She found a glass in a cupboard and helped herself to some water. She sipped it delicately and looked out of the window into the garden.

"Hermione?" she heard a voice behind her, and turned round…

Ron Weasley was stood in the doorframe, smiling lopsidedly at her.

**More to come... **


	2. Are you the one I've been waiting for?

**A/N: Everything is JK Rowling's... I don't own Hermione, or indeed Ron - although I wish I did...**

"Ron" she gasped, trying to compose herself. Everything about him was different, yet it was the same.

He had the same, vivid red hair, thick and slightly wavy. His eyes, still blue, glistened and twinkled as he took her in. He was still tall, but had filled out to suit his stature, so he was no-longer the gangly teen she'd known in her youth. And he smiled. It was enough to make her heart drop into her stomach. It twisted nervously, and she willed it mentally to shut up.

"It's good to see you" she said finally, after they had stared at each other for a good ten minutes.

"You too," he smiled vivaciously "What are you doing here?"

"Oh I've just come to stay for a bit," she said airily, waving her arm so her water went flying out the glass, "Didn't Ginny tell you?"

She was aware of her voice rising in pitch, knowing full well that Ginny would not have told Ron, under Hermione's strict instructions. What was it about Ron that made her squeal like a seventeen year old again? She was one of the top workers in her field! Compose yourself Hermione!

"No she didn't" he admitted, biting his lip, and running a hand over the little brown-red stubble he had on his chin.

"Well here I am!" she squeaked…

"Yes, here you are"

They stared for a moment longer until Harry appeared behind Ron.

"All okay?"

"Oh yeah, fine, don't worry about us, all is good" the pair babbled nervously.

Harry moved into the kitchen and began setting the places out, telling Hermione to "sit, sit" and "no, don't do anything, you're our guest…"

Ginny had prepared a gorgeous meal and they sat around the table discussing where they'd been the last eight years and how could they have spent so long apart?

Ron looked up and caught Hermione's eye, smiling lopsidedly again. She smiled back decorously, and looked away, anywhere but him, for her stomach was jumping again, and her heart racing.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, making her jump "More peas?"

"Erm, no I'm good, thanks Harry."

"Ron?"

"Nah mate, I'm alright, thanks." Ron cleared his throat gruffly. "So Hermione, why didn't you ever come and visit for eight years?"

"Well, I, I" she began flustered, "Work, I, it- I had a lot on, I was very busy" she said guiltily

"Not even time for… us?" he let the word hang in the air, fully implying – and Hermione was aware – that he meant him.

"Like I said," Hermione dropped her voice "I was busy."

"Fine," Ron held up his hands in defeat and scraped his chair back, clearing up the plates with Ginny.

After dinner Hermione went out onto the patio to grab some air. She leaned on the wrought iron railings and breathed deeply. She felt a hand on the small of her back and turned to find Ron there.

He looked deeply into her eyes and murmured, "I missed you,"

"I missed you too" she replied softly

"But now you're back." He took a step closer to her.

"Yep, I'm back" Their faces were almost touching.

"Wicked." He used the phrase she'd heard so often in her youth, and leaned towards her.

"Goodnight," she breathed demurely and turned away into the house, leaving Ron on the patio staring after her, wondering how he'd spent eight years away from her.


	3. Tell me what we're gonna do now

**A/N: here it is, the final part. As usual, everything is JK Rowling's. **

"You know, I'm so glad I conned you into this break" said Ginny as her and Hermione baked muffins a few days later. "My weekly owls finally paid off!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny, and smiled wryly. "I guess I just needed it finally," she sighed

"Yeah, and you were desperate to see my brother."

Hermione gaped and stuttered, "I- no- you- not true."

"Well I was just testing the waters, but now I know I'm definitely right" grinned Ginny.

Hermione gave her a look of anger, smiling slightly.

"I mean it's been eight years," Ginny rambled on, "of course you were partially busy with work, and it did keep you away for a few years, but then you had distanced yourself from Ron so much, that you had to avoid him because it was too hard to just send an owl and say 'Hi' because you'd spent so long not speaking to each other. It got to the point where you missed him so much, but you couldn't send an owl, you had to see him in person, but you were so nervous that you refused to tell him, rather let it be 'spontaneous' so too much pressure wouldn't be put on either of you. So of course the pressure built and you were nervous, but you made the right decision. And here you are."

Hermione sighed. "You know me too well."

"God, you can practically smell the sexual tension." Ginny continued. "You could cut it with a knife. It exudes off both of you. I wish he'd just hurry up and kiss you, it's really starting to annoy Harry and I."

"What is?" said a voice from the doorway.

Hermione nearly dropped the tray of freshly baked muffins as Ron sauntered into the kitchen tossing an apple casually between his palms.

"You," said Ginny and Hermione wondered, eyes wide, what Ginny was going to say next.

"What about me?" asked Ron, leaning on a chair and taking a bite out of the apple.

"Just, the way you _never_," Hermione held her breath, keeping silent, "make an effort round the house." Hermione breathed again, as Ginny continued on her lecture of Ron, starting to sound more and more like their mother. "Harry and I keep a tidy home, and you insist on making mess."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ron waved a hand dismissively at her, "Hermione?"

She looked up.

"Can you… Come here." He instructed and took her palm, tossing his half-eaten apple in the sink with a clatter. Hermione looked over her shoulder at Ginny who winked slyly.

"Where are we going?" asked Hermione nervously

"You'll see." replied Ron, mysteriously.

He led her up a flight of stairs into a room. His room.

"_So_, this is my room." he said exaggeratedly, with what could have been perceived to be swagger in his voice.

"Ye-es. Why am I here?"

"Why do you think?" said Ron winking, overdramatically. "No seriously," he dropped all pretences, and led her to a little black box sitting upon his desk. He opened it and showed her the inside.

It was full of newspaper clippings, and as Hermione sifted through a handful of them she realised they were all ones that bore an article mentioning her name. Some were in French, with rough translations in Ron's messy scrawling attached; most were in English, and had a picture of her smiling up at the reader on.

"You, you kept all of these?" Hermione smiled, looking up from the clippings to Ron. "Why?"

"To check up on you, make sure you're alright. I never stopped, never stop, thinking about you, even after we stopped writing. I couldn't believe I let you get away, I was so angry with myself. How could I be so stupid," he laughed dryly, "to let the love of my life go so quickly, and so easily?"

"Love… love of your life?" Hermione asked, her eyes shining brightly.

"Yeah," said Ron, grabbing her arms, "So now you're here, I'm not letting you go again." He stated, and put his hand in the box, rifling through to the bottom.

"I've had this for too long, and not had enough courage to come and see you and finally give it to you. And then you being here, and not telling me," he eyed her, in mock outrage, "it was a sign to me, I was like 'Ron, you gotta do something, don't let her get away again.' So, my heart is yours, and always will be."

"It always was," Hermione laughed,

"And this is yours also." He slipped the ring onto her dainty little hand, holding it and stepping back a moment, in fake concern, "You're not going to say no are you?"

"No," Hermione chuckled, "it's a yes. Can't believe it took us so long."

"Me neither." He breathed deeply, and took her face in his hands, and kissed her, so delicately, yet passionately: it was like she'd been waiting for him all along. As she put her hand on his back, pressing her lips to him softly, the ring sparkled in the sunlight.

**FIN. **


End file.
